Selfless Sacrifice
by Fireglass
Summary: -I was torn with indecision. Loyalty to Bella, to the pack…loyalty to myself and what I wanted.- Jacob's point of view on saving Leah from the newborn in Eclipse. Mild implied Jacob/Bella.


Tragedy

_It's over_.

The realization throbbed in the forefront of my mind, echoed by nearly thirty voices besides my own. I allowed my eyes to survey the clearing, bright in places where the sunlight glinted off the snow, past the limp body of the vampire that hung between my teeth. I was only a little put-out by the fact that the thing didn't bleed—I didn't _need _to taste blood to feel the high of victory.

_It's over_. The voice repeated, and it seemed somehow louder, now. The speaker—or speakers—couldn't be far away.

_Jacob, it's over_.

I recognized Embry's voice, the same instant I saw him flitting across the periphery of my vision; my pack brother trotted from the trees just as I scented him—a nearly impossible feat, since the sickly-sweet stench of our enemies seemed to be _everywhere_.

Embry's lips curled back into a grin past his burden—he was clutching the torso of another bloodsucker between his teeth.

_Way to go, Embry_. I sent the congratulations via telepathy as I dropped my own catch and began to rend his limbs from the upper body; the resonating ripping sounds only added to the satisfaction of a job well done.

_Nice one, Jake! _An appreciative voice murmured in my mind…one that was not Embry. I glanced up to see Quil approaching from across the clearing, his chocolate fur smeared with blood. He had lost some fur on his flank, where a shining pink scar stood out against his skin, but his eyes were bright.

I was relieved.

_Final count_? I inquired mentally. _How many did you kill?_

I could feel his smugness from half a mile away.

_Two. _He replied. _But I had Sam's help on the first one_.

I shrugged, too intent upon ripping the bloodsucker's head from its body to reply.

_Did the leeches get their half_? Embry inquired of Quil. I paused momentarily to listen; I wanted to hear this one.

_Yep_. Quil replied confidently. _The psychic and her boyfriend just came over. It was pretty close a couple of times, and I guess the smaller blond one—Jasper, isn't it?—got bitten. But they all survived_.

_Good. _Embry replied. _The council wouldn't be too pleased if one of them died…I _guess _we're allies today…_

_But only today._ Quil added darkly. _Otherwise_…

Their eyes flickered to me, then away.

I felt my body tense up; I couldn't help it. Their casual conversation had reminded me of what had happened before the battle…and what was yet to come.

I could see her face in my mind; Bella Swan, in all of her innocent, unbelievable beauty. The last time I'd seen her, she was standing ankle-deep in snow, watching me leave. I'd been so happy then…happy, because none of the concern in her eyes had been for the bloodsuckers. It had all been for me…for _me_, because now she knew she loved me, too.

It had been hard to leave her…I swear, she'd looked like an angel in the flesh, standing there with the sunlight sparkling all around her…but Sam would've been pissed if I'd copped out of the fight just because Bella was too afraid to let me leave. Besides, the battle was over, and I'd survived…no harm done.

Still, I had to hurry and get my job done here. I'd have to get back to the other clearing…back to _her_ before…before _he _confronted her.

A snarl ached in my throat at the thought.

Would he hurt her? It wasn't likely. He knew what cards to play in this game, and I was just going on my luck and the hope that knowledge really _was _power. That maybe her love for me would be enough to break the stupid, freaky spell he'd used to bewitch her. Maybe she would choose a future where she didn't have to change herself…where she could survive and be _Bella _and not have to worry about _him _trying to drink her blood. Maybe she would choose to stay with me, she could stay warm, and safe, and happy. I would protect her, probably better than _he _ever could. She could stay _alive_.

I could still remember the warmth of her body in my arms as she finally gave in to her emotions and kissed me back…

_Dammit!_

I lifted my head, surprised by the vehement exclamation that was Quil's voice. He was staring at me, his dark eyes wide and slightly accusing.

_What?_ I shot back.

_For the love of God, man, could you _please _keep those thoughts to yourself? You're making me sick! _His jaws gaped wide in a gagging motion. I bared my teeth reflexively at him, and he grinned.

_Jacob, Quil, Embry_.

My pack brothers straightened into a more erect posture, their heads lifting to attention as Sam recalled us.

_Any injuries? _I could feel that the question was directed at me, the—what had Bella called it?—oh, yeah, the _Beta_.

_Quil's got a scratch on his flank, but it's healing. _I reported. _Embry's fine_.

He flashed me a grin, his teeth glinting in the sunlight.

_Fine. Bring your catch to the cliff-top. We're going to rendezvous with the Cullens and burn the remains there. Then we'll have to head home—their enemies are coming, and we don't need to get involved in vampire affairs._

I stiffened—again.

Enemies.

Danger.

_Will Bella be okay?_ I couldn't help but wonder.

Embry snorted a laugh.

_The psychic one does not see her in any danger. _Sam allayed my fears briefly, curtly. _Start moving_.

_The psychic _sees _that she won't be in danger_. I repeated dully to myself as I gathered up the bloodsucker's remains and trotted after Quil and Embry, toward the treeline. _So I guess I won't be with her anytime soon_.

_Relax, Jake, will you? _Embry complained, disrupting my thoughts. _Bella's fine. I hate to be the one to admit it, but the bloodsuckers can protect her. What else matters?_

_Everything_. I replied. He wouldn't understand.

We set a good clip through the trees, letting the wind stream through our fur, washing away the stink of the vampires from our skin. We weren't breathing hard, even with our burdens—running was as easy for us as walking was for your average human, no matter what we were weighted down with.

The trees thinned as we got closer to the cliff-tops; the air was getting fresher, and I could smell the stink of fish even with the bloodsucker's body in my mouth. The trail started to climb, and I stretched out my muscles, luxuriating in the sheer _power_ of the action. Sometimes, it was great to be a wolf.

We broke through the trees without much warning; the sunlight was bright again, glinting off the skin of the seven vampires that stood in the open. I surveyed the scene, taking a moment to digest just how weird it was; seeing my pack brothers mingling with their natural enemies, sickly pale flesh against dark fur, was the oddest sight I had ever seen. And yet, I couldn't get over how _right _it was—at least in the moment. Maybe it was because everyone looked so victorious…it was the same victorious that I felt.

Sam was easy to pick out amidst the others; he was standing by the big blond vampire—Carlisle—and they gazed into the surf pounding below the cliff face expressionlessly. A few feet away, the dark haired woman—Esme, Bella called her—was striking a match to a huge pile of vampire body-parts.

As Quil, Embry, and I looked on, the shorter blond—Jasper—came toward us. As he moved, I caught sight of his massive brother holding something over the edge of the cliff. At first, I thought it was a dead body—maybe one of their own—and then I realized it was another vampire. A live female with bright red eyes.

A newborn.

The blood-scent coming from her body was so strong, it hurt my nose. I saw Quil take an involuntary step back, his forepaw raised. As he settled into a battle-crouch, a low whimper escaped from between his teeth

Sam glanced around at the sound, and his dark face was passive.

_Relax_. He ordered. _She surrendered. _

Quil straightened up slightly, and his tail waged low with regret.

The younger blond vampire stopped a few feet away from us.

" Thank you." He spoke formally. " You can put those with the others." He nodded to the fire.

" Wait."

I was surprised to hear Sam's voice outside of my head; he was on his feet, in his human form, stalking warily past the bloodsuckers as he approached us. I glanced around and spotted Jared and Paul weaving their way through the rest of the pack to fall in at his flanks like bodyguards.

Sam stopped beside us, glanced once toward the vampire, and then turned away and spoke to me in a lowered, urgent voice.

" Jacob, no one in the pack has seen Leah since the fight. Carlisle says he spotted her heading back toward La Push several minutes ago. I need you to find her. Please." I had never heard Sam beg before. It made me angry.

Why couldn't he go after Leah himself? It was like he couldn't even look her in the eye, ever since he had imprinted on Emily. But he wasn't a coward—not Sam. I didn't get why he avoided Leah so much.

And Leah—boy, was she a handful. Leah had been a bitch for a couple of years now—just our luck that now she could turn into one in the literal sense. It was just like her to run off after the fight before Sam could do a head count. Now she was God-knows-where, doing God-knows-what. Maybe she had gone to track down her brother, Seth, in the clearing where Bella and her bloodsucker were camped out, waiting for the fight to finish up here.

Irrational hope started pulsing through me the moment I thought Bella's name; maybe this was just the excuse I needed to see her again.

I nodded once to Sam, and let my burden drop.

Sam seemed pretty relieved by my acceptance of this _dangerous_ _mission_; he turned and spoke to Quil lowly.

" Quil, take Jacob's catch to the fire."

Obediently, my pack-brother bent to retrieve the severed limbs, torso, and head. For a moment, his eyes met mine, and there was fear in his gaze; fear that I didn't understand.

_Stay safe_. His voice sighed within my mind.

I curled my lip at him; he knew I could take Leah on. She was pretty mean sometimes, but I was stronger and faster than she was. Even _if _we fought, she wouldn't get a scratch on me, and Quil knew it. What did he think I was going to do, fall in a hole or something?

He merely shrugged in response to my thoughts, and turned, heading toward the fire. Embry's flank brushed mine as he padded after him.

I watched them go, for a moment, then turned to face Jared and Paul. They watched me, the light of battle still not dimmed in their eyes.

_Catch up with you later! _I silently vowed. Paul grinned, his teeth shining razor-sharp in the weak sunlight, while Jared merely rolled his eyes.

Sam stared after me, his gaze haunted, as I headed back out into the woods.

I didn't need my sense of smell to pick up Leah's trail; it was obvious from her paw-prints, engraved in the snow. Smaller than the rest of ours, they showed clearly where she had come in at Sam's flank for the fight—and where she had veered off, taking her own course.

With a low sigh, I decided to phase back. Leah would be less inclined to bite my head off if she couldn't claim self-defense. Besides, I didn't want to hear her thoughts—didn't want to hear how fighting beside Sam had hurt her, didn't want to hear how she just _wanted to be alone_. Seriously, she had a long way to go before she learned the meaning of belonging in the pack. She was so self-centered.

It was slower going as a human, but I didn't mind; it was easier to remember every part of my kiss with Bella when I wasn't a wolf, and now I didn't have Quil or Embry or anyone else rattling around in my about how I needed to shut up.

Solitude in the mind is a wonderful thing.

I could still feel the heat of her lips against mine, could still taste her breath on my tongue. This kiss had been a _lot _better than last time; last time, she'd been so damn stubborn about it all. But this time…this time had been so different. The passion had been hot enough to burn me. Burn me…like the image of her pleading, tear-filled eyes was burned into my mind.

Would he let her go? Would she let _him _go?

I had to hope she would.

The trees were thinning out again; even at a human pace, I had reached the clearing in no time. Leah's tracks got a little confusing here, like she had walked in circles for a while, deciding where to go next. At one point, the paw prints became foot prints, and I could see the place where she had knelt down, the holes in the slush where her tears had soaked through the top layer, onto the grass beneath.

I thought I was beyond feeling pity for her, but I couldn't suppress just a little of the sympathy that leaked through.

_Leah_.

Did she feel the same way I did about Bella and her bloodsucker, when _she _had to watch Sam and Emily getting closer every day?

_At least I can handle this like a man_. I reminded myself. _Leah handles it like a…a…_

_Like a wolf. _I finished, and sighed.

" Leah!" I called out for her, hoping I wouldn't have to go any farther than this clearing. I could see that her tracks had changed from human to wolf a little further along, and they went in the opposite direction of where Bella was. I didn't want to go off course.

I listened for a few seconds, waiting to see if she would come back to the clearing. I waited, but I didn't hope. Leah was stubborn; she'd love to drag me on a wild wolf-chase through the forest until I was so pissed I'd be snorting smoke.

And she'd get away with it, too; Sam always went easy on her.

I didn't have long to think about those kinds of things; even without my wolf senses, I could see the flicker of silver darting across the edge of the clearing. At first I thought it was a bird, or maybe one of the bloodsuckers making a sweep of perimeter.

But then I heard it, the weirdest sound I'd ever heard; some kind of grotesque, distorted, choking snarl that sounded like a member of the pack trying to bark underwater.

Or maybe it was Leah's voice, garbled by tears.

I rolled my eyes.

" Leah, this isn't funny. Get your ass back here. Sam is pissed."

Another snarl, lower this time; I couldn't see her outline in the trees anymore.

I thought of Bella, waiting for me in the clearing, probably getting a serious tongue-lashing from her bloodsucker for kissing me.

I was getting impatient.

" Leah, seriously, come on!" I called again, trying to keep my voice even. " I don't have all day!"

Something dark on the horizon caught my attention; I turned away from the path of Leah's paw prints, trying to identify the black mass the was drifting upward from close to the mountains.

I felt my stomach clench painfully; my breakfast nearly made a reappearance.

Smoke was billowing into the gray sky from the direction of Bella's campsite; it was the same smoke that I had seen coming from the fire on the cliff.

The fire that was used to burn the remains of the vampires.

_No, no, no. NO!_

" Bella!" I wasn't even sure how I spoke her name when my throat went suddenly dry. Had she been injured? Had Seth? I didn't much care about Edward, but what if he had died trying to defend Bella? What if she was in danger right now, while Leah was skulking around, wasting my time?

I was running full-tilt toward the smoke before I had even made the decision to do it; my body was a mile ahead of my mind.

As I ran, I yelled over my shoulder.

" Leah, I need back-up! Move, move, move!"

I heard her responding howl, heard it cut off suddenly. I was halfway through the leap that would carry me up the sloped side of the clearing when I smelled the sickly sweet scent.

_Vampire_.

I crashed down onto the crest of the clearing and skidded to a halt, wheeling around to face back the way I'd come.

Leah was weaving across the edge of the clearing opposite me; her hackles were up and she was shaking with the force of her snarling. Beyond her, the red eyes of a newborn glinted in the undergrowth.

_Idiot! _My mind screamed.

I was torn with indecision. Loyalty to Bella, to the pack…loyalty to myself and what _I _wanted. Sam would never forgive me if I left Leah to engage a newborn alone. But could I forgive _myself _if something happened to Bella?

_Bella, Leah, Bella, Leah, Bella…_

Even from a distance, with human eyes, I could see Leah settling back into a crouch. But her stance was totally off; she was bearing her weight to much on her left side. If the newborn jumped her, it would get her down and crush the life out of her before she had a chance to react.

Her battle-howl sliced through the air.

And I was running.

I hardly felt the earth skimming beneath my feet; I half slithered, half slipped down the dished-out side of the clearing and raced to join my pack-mate.

The newborn reared out of the undergrowth, head thrashing as it scented the heat of Leah's blood. Leah still hadn't corrected her stance.

" _Leah, move!_" It was her last warning, and I said it just as she threw back her head and let loose another howl of pure defiance.

I dove into mid-air, feeling the familiar splitting sensation as the fur exploded from my skin and covered my entire body; wind rushed past my ears, swallowed me whole. But I could still see the newborn as it lunged from the undergrowth—

I slammed down on all four paws and drove my shoulder against Leah's with as much force as I could muster. She spun sideways with the impact, a gasp gusting from between her teeth. I faced the newborn the way Sam had taught me to; head lowered beneath my shoulders, protecting my throat, weight centered, muscles tensed, waiting, ready to fight, read to _attack_.

I never got the chance.

The newborn leaped high, spiraling over my head, fast. I spun to face where I thought he should have landed…and there was nothing.

_Kid, move!_ Leah's voice echoed in my head.

An overwhelming weight crashed down on my back before I could react. My paws were knocked from under me, and I staggered sideways, trying to shake the burden from my spine. Something vice-tight circled around my ribcage, pressed into my flanks, constricted my shoulders.

And then the newborn's entire form constricted.

It was just a squeeze, and at first, I didn't feel it.

And then the pain was everywhere, arcing through the right side of my body. It felt like I was on fire…the world was on fire, and I couldn't escape the anguish no matter how hard I tried.

I didn't realize that the tortured howling came from me, didn't even realize that _this _pain was _my _pain, until I saw Leah; she was lying on the ground, retching with the echo of my agony in her mind.

The newborn's teeth ghosted across the fur of my neck, its grip still tight around my body as it searched for my jugular. The pain was so intense, I could barely think; I didn't even realize that I was lying on my side, my throat raw with the force of my howling, until a blade of grass dug into my eye. I was surprised I could even feel it past the sheer agony of my other injuries.

And then I heard another sound; a rapid drumming that echoed through the clearing I could barely see; I heard the newborn chattering like a demon as it wrenched me aside, trying to get at my throat.

A dark shape exploded from the treeline, rocketing into the newborn, knocking it clean off of my body. I could barely make out the black of Sam's fur past the dark spots that were swarming across my eyes.

I wasn't conscious enough to feel surprised when Leah staggered upright and flung herself into combat at Sam's side. I was in too much pain to move; I couldn't even make myself shut up.

_Jake?!_

I knew that voice…

My head really hurt.

_Paul?_

He ghosted from the trees three feet away, and stared down at me, his dark eyes wide. I wasn't sure if I was still howling…I couldn't hear much of anything…

_Stay with me, man! _Paul's voice spoke fiercely in my head; he leaned down, nudged me once with his nose, the leaped past me; I heard a high-pitched snarling sound that cut off suddenly, and I didn't need to see the stupid bloodsucker to know it was dead. No newborn, no matter how powerful it was, could've had a snowman's chance in hell against three werewolves.

_Jacob_.

Sam's voice echoed in my head.

I listened. Instinct.

_Jacob, you need to phase back_.

_No way in hell_. I managed to reply. If being a _wolf _hurt in this condition…

But Sam ignored my smart-ass reply, and spoke over my head.

_Leah, fetch Carlisle and the others._

Shockingly, she obeyed; probably she wanted to get away from the sound of my howling. I was surprised at my own endurance, but the pain was so bad, even _with _the healing, that I felt like I was being burned alive.

_Jacob, you have to phase back. Carlisle will be able to treat you only if you are in human form._

_Can't_. Was all I managed to think. I couldn't concentrate past the pain.

_Is he going to die?_ Paul demanded, and I winced, which started up the pain all over again.

_I don't know_. Sam replied honestly.

_Crap_. I thought. Here I was, standing on death's doorstep, and I'd thought the fight was _over_. _At least Bella wasn't here_.

_Jacob, phase back!_ Sam ordered, and he sounded closer to being pissed this time.

I couldn't do what he wanted me to; I was in too much pain.

And then they were there; I smelled the sickly-sweet stench of the bloodsuckers overlapping the more familiar scent of the pack. But I knew they were all there…even Leah, though I suspected she was hanging out on the perimeter, probably consumed by guilt for being such a damned idiot.

I hoped.

_Oh, man, Jake! _Quil sounded distraught. _Sam, what the hell happened?_

_Newborn_. Sam replied tonelessly.

I felt two warm bodies press up on either side of me, and I could smell Embry and Quil's scents, closer than the others. I couldn't keep the volume of my howling down, especially when Embry bumped into my right side. Holy _hell,_ it _hurt!_

" What happened?" That voice belonged to the smallest vampire—Alice, the psychic. She sounded genuinely concerned.

" A newborn got its arms around him and crushed him."

That was Leah's voice; the flat tone of it pissed me off. Didn't she _know _that this could have been _her?_

A low growl near my ear made me jump; a piercing cry rattled my broken ribs, and I flinched—again. Stupid move. I felt Embry rising to his feet beside me, his whole body vibrating as he snarled.

" Steady."

The voice startled me; it was the oldest bloodsucker, Carlisle. And he sounded close, closer than I was comfortable with.

The weak snarl in my chest was cut off abruptly when something icy touched my shoulder; I thought it was a hand.

" Calm down, Jacob Black." The psychic ordered coldly, and I was instantly reminded of the time she had said the exact same thing to me, in Bella's living room several weeks before.

_Damn, can't she think of anything original to say?_

Then the psychic added, away from me, " Edward and Bella are on their way."

_Bella?_

I was surprised that I could think the name clearly; but I was becoming a little more aware of the fact that the pain was lessening as my massive restorative abilities put themselves to good use.

" Alright." Carlisle sounded decisive. " Can you manage him alone?"

" We can manage." Leah interjected, though I'd been sure the leech was talking to Sam. " Can't we?"

I sensed my pack brothers nodding.

" Very well." Carlisle hesitated, then added, " I'll meet you in La Push as soon as we take care of matters here."

_Agreed_. Sam's voice echoed in my head.

I could barely hear the wind of their passing, but when the bloodsuckers' scent started to fade, I knew I was alone with my brothers again. In the seconds of dead silence, I realized that I wasn't screaming anymore.

_Quil, Embry, scout ahead and make sure no newborns are lurking nearby. _Sam ordered at last, all business. _Jared, Paul, run ahead to La Push and alert Billy. Tell him Carlisle will be at his place soon._

It was easier to breathe, oddly, while I listened to Sam dishing out orders. Made me think there might still be something right in the world. Plus, it was harder to concentrate on how much agony I was in when I wasn't actually _thinking _about it.

I was beyond surprised when I felt a warm hand running over the fur of my neck; at first, I thought maybe Bella and her bloodsucker had shown up. But when I glanced up, I saw only Leah's expressionless face blocking out the sunlight.

Sam waited patiently until Quil and Embry came back, just watching me; then he phased back and started talking to them, so quietly I couldn't hear. It didn't really matter; I was feeling pretty dopey and more or less numb.

But no amount of physical healing could prepare me for the agony of Embry and Quil picking me up by my legs and half-dragging me back to La Push.

I could have sworn my body was splitting in half; forget a dry throat from all of the howling _before_, the whole 'rez probably thought I'd lost my freaking mind _now_. Collin and Brady didn't even bother coming to greet us, and when Jared and Paul, and Seth—who'd conveniently just gotten back from his little camp-out in the clearing—came to help carry me in—well, by that time, I figured I'd probably busted a lung yelling. But it was like I couldn't stop.

Finally, after a lot of coaxing from Sam and a few glares from Leah—who looked like she was fed up with my yowling—I managed to get it together enough to phase back.

And then it was worse—the pain, anyways. But at least I could swear it off.

" Mother fuc—" Were the first words that came out of my mouth, and by the time we got from the yard to the doorway, I had probably alerted everyone from here to Forks of my current status.

But _dammit _did it _hurt._

It pretty unfortunate that Charlie was still there; he looked almost sick when he saw me. But seeing him only made me feel worse—because that's when I realized Bella wasn't there. And in that moment that I saw Charlie's face, I _knew_…I knew the kiss hadn't changed anything. I knew that she was going to stick with her leech, because she loved him best.

I had tried, and I had failed.

" Son of a bitch!"

I was pretty sure that all of my bones had re-broken when my brothers dumped me on the bed, and the cussing helped. Helped with the pain that was eating me away, both inside and out. Because, dammit, I _needed her_, and she was out there playing the role of the brave leech-lover for that stupid coven.

_Why, why, why did Cullen have to come back?_

I noticed Charlie standing in the doorway, his face filled with worry and disapproval, and I couldn't hold back a sneer. It was easy to see where _his _preference would lie in this situation.

" Bet you're glad she loves Cullen instead of me today, huh, Charlie?"

He flushed red, and turned away.

I heard someone knocking on the door even though my head seemed to be pounding with the sound of my own heartbeat. Hope surged through me—maybe she _had _come after all—but it was only Carlisle.

I wanted to make a smart-aleck remark the minute he came into my room, but when I saw his face—pained, like he'd just witnessed a brutal murder, or something…not that _that _would bother _him_—I let it drop. My throat hurt too much, anyway.

I listened to him and Sam exchanging words, not really hearing anything they were saying. I could see my brothers growing uncomfortable, probably because there was a vampire in the room. But then I noticed that they were looking at me funny—real quick, their eyes darting from my bed to the doorway constantly—and I got a sick feeling in my stomach.

That's when I saw him.

He was standing back a ways from the others, his head bowed, his arms crossed. I felt instant hate pounding through my veins when I saw his pale skin and his stupid, stupid eyes—golden or not, he was still the enemy…the enemy who was going to steal Bella's humanity form her. How could I forgive him for _that_?

His eyes lifted suddenly, flashed to my face and away, and I cursed again, more quietly; I'd forgotten that he could read minds.

" Well?" I sneered at last, though my voice sounded weird even to me; too dry, like I'd been smoking for a few years. " Aren't you going to make some sort of wise-crack? Point out how I could put Bella in danger?" I was real careful not to put my preferred insulting terms onto the question—Charlie was still lingering beside Sam, looking perturbed.

The bloodsucker's head lifted again, and his face was a mess; he looked like I'd punched him in the gut.

_Is he reacting to what I said, or to my mind?_

" She's very worried about you, you know." He murmured, so lowly I could barely hear. Then, keeping up the charade—something about an idiotic shopping trip Bella'd supposedly gone on with the psychic—he added, " I called Alice as soon as I heard. She and Bella are on their way home as we speak."

Irrational hope flooded through me.

_Maybe I still have a chance_.

" Yeah, well, I hope she drops by." I replied lowly. " We have some things we need to talk about." I waited for his reaction, hoping that he would look just a _little _angry. But he didn't…he just looked worried, like maybe he thought I was going to kick the bucket any second. Like it really mattered to him.

" Jacob."

Sam's voice caught my attention. I glanced around to see him watching me with a hard-to-read expression.

" Jacob, Carlisle says some of your bones might be—" he glanced once, furtively, toward Charlie, and then toward Edward. I saw the leech relax, and he stepped forward, resting his hand on Charlie's shoulder.

" Chief Swan, perhaps its best we leave. We should give them some room."

With a final glance my way, Charlie left, but Edward turned around and pushed past my pack-brothers. Most of them moved out of his way, but I could see that Paul was working hard to keep a tight rein on himself.

The bloodsucker stopped by my bed, and rested his hand on my shoulder.

I flinched away; his skin was so icy it hurt.

" Jacob." He murmured, in a low voice that only I could hear. " She loves you. I understand that. But please, you must try to understand. What I said to you last night remains as true now as it was before she was aware of her feelings for you; I will not force her to make her choice. And neither should you."

I couldn't believe he was still so self-sacrificing. It made me sick.

" Anything else?" I demanded irately.

He just stared at me.

" Alright, then." I concluded as levelly as I could manage. " Truce over."

I thought I saw him smile; then he turned and followed Charlie from the house.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Sam started talking.

" Some of your bones may be set wrong, Jacob…your healing rate is exponential, and that's working against us. Carlisle will have to re-break the fractures."

I glanced from one of them to the other, deciding. I knew it would hurt like hell, but if it was what I had to do, to be able to live, to see Bella again…

" Fine." I agreed.

Carlisle tilted his head once, then turned to Sam.

" I'll need some room, please."

Sam nodded and started issuing orders to my pack-brothers.

I hardly listened; I was too busy thinking about what Edward had said.

_She loves you_.

So, he knew. And she knew. And I'd known all along. So where did that leave us? We were all stuck in some stupid little love triangle…and we all knew where this was heading. She would have to choose, and I would bet she'd end up miserable no matter _what _she chose.

I was hardly aware of the little prick in my arm when Doctor Deadly injected me with the morphine; I just knew that I got real sleepy, real fast. The last thing I was conscious of was Sam's hand resting on my arm.

And then I saw the most beautiful sight in the world

Just beyond Quil—in the place where the doorway opened up in the front room—a breathless, pale-faced Bella stood, clutching the bracelet on her left wrist as she watched me with wide, tear-filled eyes.

I wanted to tell her I loved her, but I had no more strength.

And everything went black.


End file.
